Jonathan Veira - Biography

JONATHAN VEIRA

International opera singer
Bass baritone

Jonathan Veira is an international operatic baritone with a superb voice and a personality to match. He also possesses a unique ability to perform a range of musical styles without sounding 'operatic'. Jonathan started his musical career singing ballads and Gospel music whilst studying for a music degree at London University, Trinity College of Music and subsequently at the National Opera Studio.

Jonathan's considerable vocal and comic talents have resulted in him singing many of the leading comic baritone roles in opera. He has subsequently performed for a number of the top opera houses in the world all to great critical and audience acclaim. (See our Reviews page for more details). For example, Falstaff (Falstaff) for Royal Danish Opera, Bartolo (The Marriage of Figaro) for Zurich Opera under Harnencourt, Leporello (Don Giovanni) alongside Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Kecal (The Bartered Bride) and Dr. Kolonaty (The Makropulos Case) at Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera de Nice, Wexford Festival and Garsington Festival are just some of the venues where Jonathan has performed his other highly acclaimed roles, including Papgeno (The Magic Flute), Amonasro (Aida), Sharpless (Madam Butterfly), Melitone (The Force of Destiny), Don Alfonso (Cosi Fan Tutte), Bartolo (Barber of Seville), Mustafa (Italian Girl from Algiers), Buonafede (Il Monde della Luna), Tonio (Pagliacci), Baron Zeta (The Merry Widow), Dulcamara (L'Elisir d'Amore), Foreman (Jenufa).

Other engagements have included Leporello and Dikoi (Katya Kabanova) for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Alfonso (Cosi fan Tutte) and Claggert (Billy Budd) for Royal Danish Opera, The Sacristan (Tosca) for English National Opera. He has also returned to Covent Garden in Madam Butterfly and The Cunning Little Vixen and to Glyndebourne Festival and Montpellier as Bartolo.

As a concert soloist, Jonathan has performed around the world, featuring as the bass soloist in Handel's Messiah, Britten's War Requiem, and Beethoven's Choral Symphony amongst others. He regularly broadcasts on BBC radio and television and has appeared as a featured soloist on 6 CD's and 2 solo classical CD's.

As one of the most invited guests on Songs of Praise, Jonathan enjoys a considerable popular acclaim amongst the estimated 5 million regular viewers. He also appears on two special Songs of Praise albums, one from the Holy Land and the other The Nation's Favourite Hymns.

Jonathan is a great communicator and this is seen most clearly when he performs in his own acclaimed one-man show - An Audience with Jonathan Veira. In this highly entertaining show, he sings ballads, jazz, rock 'n' roll and blues as well as some popular operatic arias, accompanying himself with great flair on both piano and guitar. His skill as a raconteur and mimic keeps the audience enthralled as he tells hilarious anecdotes and makes his own comic observations on life. These events have translated easily into a church or large conference context.

Following the release of his first solo Christian album In A Different Mood, he released a new Gospel album, Life & Soul on the ICC label. The success of this led to 'Rhythms of the Heart' and then something which will be the perfect reminder of a wonderful evening for all who have seen 'An Audience with Jonathan Veira', a CD (of the same name) featuring music he plays during the evening. Further CDs have been received with much acclaim: All That Matters where JV shows more of his incredible range with a funk / blues / jazzy feel followed by Pilgrim.

You can find samples from songs on these albums here: AUDIO & VIDEO SAMPLES

A superb DVD showing an entire performance of 'An Audience with Jonathan Veira' has been produced by ICC, specially recorded at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford and the perfect present for anyone who has not been to a JV concert... and to watch again and again by anyone who has!